The Thing About Us
by CheekyBrunette
Summary: Maybe it was how they could speak without talking, or dance without moving their feet, or make things better without knowing what was wrong, but something was there between them... And Nick couldn't place his finger on what...
1. Speak To Me

**Okay, so… I was **_**supposed**_** to write another chapter for Love Taps today, but I honestly could not find it within myself at all. Like… I tried. I really did. I've BEEN trying, but obviously failing. So I've decided to write this instead because it's fluffy, but in a way that I can actually handle and tie together without making my brain hurt. **

**I know, I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait 'til Friday for the next chapter. *****Wince * **

**IMPORTANT: Each one of these chapters is to a lyric from the song "Thing About Us" by Steve Moakler. No promises on update speed or chapter length. I just need to write this really bad…**

* * *

_You don't have to say a word…_

* * *

Nick's foot bounced up and down anxiously as he tried to hold a conversation with Wes. The other Warbler was full on raging about the new Dalton issued tiepins, claiming they ruined the seamless look they were all expected to maintain and that if they didn't need them before they shouldn't need them now… basically straight up nonsense. Nick clocked his words speeding at a mile per minute as he made a few halfhearted attempts to carry his side of the conversation.

Truth be told, Nick didn't care about tiepins, and quite frankly, he wasn't too interested in Wes either. Jeff Sterling was missing from class, which was naturally worrying Nick ridiculously. His eyes darted back and forth from Wes's face to the door as he awaited the appearance of his roommate. Seriously, where could he actually _be_? They had all the same classes, and they _always_ made it to chemistry together seconds after the bell rang, their last class being physics and just across the hall.

Dr. Carrier bustled about in the front of the room, headed straight to his chalkboard –Dalton was old school- and erasing some equations from earlier classes, a key indicator that class was about to get started. Nick cleared his throat and realized Wes had turned around in his seat and had begun to pull out the necessary folders for the period. Crap. Where was Jeff?

Seconds later, Dr. Carrier was starting his lecture off in his traditional way -_"And a hush fell over the crowd…_"- with the usual reply_ -"Hush yo momma!" _because Dalton was stressful enough as it was, and sometimes teachers had to be a _little_ fun to help their students through, even if their ways of being fun were sort of dumb and would make the Headmaster's ears bleed.

Normally, Nick would join in with the rest of the guys, but he was a little too focused on his lack of a best friend. It's not like he could have gotten lost… Where had he gotten off to?

Dr. Carrier had managed to make his way through what seemed to be three pages of notes, Nick wouldn't know, he hadn't been taking any, when Jeff finally stepped in. His eyes immediately found Nick's, a familiar glint shining within, but Nick instantly sensed something was wrong with his roommate.

"Ah, Jeffery Sterling. How nice of you to be joining us today," Dr. Carrier droned with a playful smirk. Jeff scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly for a second before immediately composing himself, straightening up so his posture matched the rest of his peers and adjusting his blazer to be perfectly aligned.

"I am sorry for my tardiness, sir. Will you be requesting a hall pass?" he questioned, not particularly stammering over the words, but… something was off. Nick could tell. Dr. Carrier looked at the other boy closely.

"No, Mr. Sterling. We'll just forget this ever happened. Please take your seat and have someone else regale you on the _fine_ happenings of covalent compounds that you so unfortunately missed out on." Near silent snickers echoed throughout the lab room at the man's sarcasm to his own teachings. Jeff nodded gratefully and took a seat.

_Look at me, look at me!_ Nick begged inwardly as his best friend took his sweet time to acknowledge him, dragging out various binders and writing utensils before he finally caught his stare. Jeff regarded at him curiously, sending him a 'you're crazy' look that had Nick wanting to crawl the walls. As if he didn't know something was up…

_What's wrong?_

He tried to convey everything wanted to ask through his eyes, but Jeff just threw Dr. Carrier squint and followed it up with an eye roll, which Nick translated loosely as "Can you believe this guy?" Nick bit his lip, eyeing his favorite teacher skeptically before refocusing on Jeff. He couldn't possibly have had a problem with Doc C… he let them call him _Doc C_. So what was he trying to hide…?

_That's not what I meant._

For a split second, Jeff's eyes widened, and Nick saw a lot of things that he didn't want to see inside: fear, panic, worry… Nick's stomach churned and a bad feeling washed over him. Because Nick knew things. Things that only roommates would know about each other. And not all of them were good.

_Oh, gosh… are you okay? Is… is it him?_

The look on Jeff's face said it all: _"I swear he hates me," "I just don't know what to do anymore," "help me, I'm scared_"… A whisper from behind him had Nick nearly jumping out of his skin. "It's creepy how you guys can read each other like that," Trent spoke into his hear, and his skin crawled in shock. The shorter boy ignored him, incapable of responding because this was _class_ and too focused on Jeff to even _want _to say anything back.

_Do you wanna talk?_

_Yes._

_Girl's bathroom after class?_

_Now._

_Will do._

* * *

_To speak to me._

* * *

**So this will be a quick little story ending in Niff. Yay!**


	2. Heal Me

**Guys, seriously? All of these chapters WILL be short. I've now realized… It's just like… yeah. I'm dealing with them just **_**knowing**_**, so I don't have to like… I don't know. If they just **_**know**_**, which is the point, then there's not very much to say. Hopefully the cuteness will make up for it? **

**Maybe?**

* * *

_You don't have to know what hurts…_

* * *

There wasn't a lot of reason to have girls' bathrooms in Dalton Academy. However, the very few female teachers they had and all the visiting moms and sisters did have to have a place to go when they had to _go_. The building was littered with them, all but abandoned during the week, basically leaving the boys to do with them as they willed, whether that be _fraternizing_ -as their headmaster would say- in the stalls or having a heart to heart.

Nick and Jeff, obviously, were using it for the latter, slipping through the door and closing it softly behind. Tears had already gathered in Jeff's eyes, and Nick smiled fondly. The blonde always had been quick to cry… But he was always determined not to, blinking them back furiously. Nick reached out a confident hand and took Jeff's, facing him in front of the sinks.

He bit his lip… Jeff was visibly upset, but he didn't know how to lead into the conversation they clearly needed. He used his free hand to pick at his tie, losing it a little despite the standards in dress codes that Dalton students were expected to uphold. "So was it your… your dad?" he asked, gagging halfway through. Jeff just nodded, glancing down at the pocket that held his phone, and Nick understood. He was too upset to talk, even though they had came for just that purpose, and his father had called him.

Nick pulled his friend into a hug, the blonde's shoulders starting out tense but weakening under his hold. _That's right, buddy; I've gotchya_. Nick had always been particularly good at comforting Jeff, even when he didn't know what the problem was. He's not sure why; it just… happened.

"I'm so sorry, Jeff… I don't even think _I _could bear to hear the stuff he said. But it'll be okay, alright? Even if he's crazy, I still think you're great." Jeff's shoulder blades shuddered and Nick could feel his knees buckle slightly on his own. Jeff's dad was kind of… overbearing. He didn't seem to think a lot of Jeff's efforts -even though as far as Nick was concerned, he was perfect- and never hesitated to tell him so.

Okay, so maybe that was putting it nicely. Maybe Jeff seemed to always be caught up in one-sided screaming matches because his dad couldn't seem to handle that he had a 99.2 percent in Calculus and a –holy crap- 98.9 in Civics. He expected way too much of Jeff, and it resulted in some pretty nasty carry over that Nick always got caught up in…

Naturally, Jeff ended each phone call feeling like everyone else could handle their lives perfectly and that he was failing out of school despite his efforts. It took Nick every ounce of will power to snatch up the other boy's cell and call his father right back to tell him all about Jeff's way-too-ridiculous study habits and how big of an asswipe he thought the older man was.

Even at the moment, anger was coursing through his veins, and he clenched his fists on Jeff's back, his knuckles turning white. Jeff seemed to stiffen momentarily in his arms before struggling to speak without the tears he had so successfully kept back spilling over. "Nick, it's fine…"

"No, it's not, Jeff. I can't let him-"

"It's okay, I have you…" And there it was. A line that let him relax completely and simultaneously made him want to flip shit. Nick couldn't do this anymore… He couldn't take all of this… this _weirdness_. It wasn't fair that Jeff could understand him so well and not… not…

Not something.

Not something… Nick didn't know what. He just knew that sometimes Jeff would say these… these _things_, and suddenly his heart would stop for a second. And he didn't know _why. _ All he knew was that Jeff meant an awful lot to him and that time with your best friend was supposed to mean something but this… this was starting to feel like too much, and he couldn't figure out why that was.

"Fine," he whispered back, hoping that by keeping his voice quiet, he could hide all of the emotion he was feeling. He didn't want Jeff to know… Things were too complicated for that, thank you. Heck, Nick didn't even know what he didn't want Jeff to know, that's how complicated it was.

"Thanks for understanding," Jeff replied just as quietly, his hold on Nick's waist lingering, but that was okay. Nick didn't want to let go either. "_Understanding," _he had said… Complete and total understanding…

_Maybe that's the thing about us…_

* * *

_To heal me._

* * *

**Bwahaha. I had things I was supposed to write today… Lols. Guess that's not happening.**


	3. Dance With You

**Hmmm… I love this SONG! Seriously guys. "Thing About Us" by Steve Moakler. Obviously, it's an amazing song. I'm writing to it… **

_**IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT**_**: Yo, okay, the song below? There's an a cappella version of it, which is why I picked it, unshockingly. So go youtube search "King of Anything" by Sam Tsui. You won't regret it.**

* * *

_I don't have to move my feet…_

* * *

Nick left the bathroom with more questions than answers. He didn't need to know what happened with Jeff and his dad; he just… he got him. He understood without having to _understand_, and it was weird how Jeff did that back. Like… Nick didn't have to tell him a story and then Jeff would know where he was coming from, he just… _he_ got _him_, too.

Like, earlier… He hadn't said anything, but Jeff had managed to make him feel better. Nick had been worried about him, and the blonde swooped in and saved the day. He was always doing that, and Nick just didn't understand why. _Why?_

But whatever, that wasn't important right now. All that was important was _food_.

It was lunchtime at Dalton Academy, and that meant a few things. First, it meant that Nick got to eat, and that was a big deal as: _food_. Second, it meant that all the Warblers could get together all at once in a non-formal atmosphere that wasn't ridden with alcohol, which was kinda nice. As funny as drunk Warblers were, sober ones were much better company.

Nick and Jeff immediately split up, having walked to the cafeteria together. He headed off to the actual lunch line, while Jeff aimed straight for the desserts. Approximately five minutes later, he was sitting down to the usual sight of Jeff cutting both a slice of apple pie and chocolate cake in two, trading halves so each plate had one of both. Nick plopped down the other boy's salad in front of him –romaine lettuce, five cucumbers, _half_ a spoonful of sunflower seeds, and a _full_ spoon of carrot shreds, Ceaser dressing on the side- as Jeff passed him his cake.

"You should probably eat more," Nick said, stabbing him in the side with a fork as he sat down next to him. "You're so skinny." Jeff laughed as he forked down half of his salad in one bite with a cheeky smirk.

"If you weren't so hot, I'd yell at you to try one, Duval," he said snidely, prodding him right back, and Nick's blood ran cold. Shit, _Jeff_. Why did he have to _say_ things like that? It certainly wasn't helping all of this… confusion he felt. Nick tried to ignore the way his face was heating up and took the knife and fork Jeff had grabbed for him to slice up his pizza, tearing off the crust first and handing it to the blonde.

"For the love of- _seriously_?" Thad's voice carried over the table and the dozen or so Warblers who had already sat down turned to look at the head council member on principle, knowing whenever one of their higher-ups talked that it was probably a good idea to listen. "It's, like, everyday with this," he said pointedly, and Nick watched as Jeff adopted a confused expression when he realized the older boy was talking about them.

"Everyday with _what_, Thad?" he questioned, and the junior shook his head for a minute before continuing in the same, annoyed tone as before.

"What do you mean, _what_?" he asked, "It's like… I bet you guys didn't even _ask_ what the other one wanted. You just _knew_; am I right?" Jeff shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip from the Vitamin Water between them, and Thad's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "And you're sharing drinks! Jeff, your's is the red one on the other side of you. What are you doing?" Nick furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well, it's not like I mind," he replied, throwing Thad a glare and Jeff a comforting expression. Thad facepalmed.

"That's the point, it's like… you guys are way to synchronized. It's actually getting weird. Figure out what you two've got going on," he ordered them before turning back and happily getting involved with the boys at his end of the table, the other Warblers staring at them crookedly before returning to their own meals. Jeff snickered behind his hand and leaned into Nick's side.

"That guy _really_ needs a girlfriend," Jeff determined, giggling slightly and Nick offered him a small laugh, but he just wasn't feeling it. Were they _too_ synchronized? It was like… Nick had once slow danced with this girl at a Crawford/Dalton party, and sometimes… sometimes being with Jeff made him feel the same way. It was like… it was like they both knew the steps and they both knew the songs, and it just felt… natural. Nick liked natural.

Lunch passed by slowly, Nick too preoccupied with his thoughts to really talk to Jeff, and he had a feeling the other boy noticed, but he wasn't precisely sure how he felt about it. He was sure if he looked closer, he could figure out just what his roommate was thinking, but –again- he was preoccupied.

Suddenly there was a bustle in the cafeteria, Blaine Anderson storming in, his entire person looking like it's own mini hurricane. "Guys, impromptu performance," he announced, taking the head of the table. "'King of Anything'. Let's go." Wes, David, and Thad eyed him skeptically for a minute before nodding and giving a count as they broke off into their usual rhythmic onomatopoeia.

The entire cafeteria flooded in a chorus of _doo_'s and _bum_'s, Blaine's voice inevitably rising above it all. He was up on a table, while the rest of the Warblers did their jobs and tried to look like they were having fun. With a wink at David, Jeff and a few select other boys who had been learning the choreography for the song got up around Blaine's makeshift stage, following through with some steps as they sang, and Nick's heart stopped.

Jeff moved so smoothly, his slender body all Nick could see, but that wasn't what got him. No, he was much too, much too captivated by his eyes, and how Jeff was staring right at him. Nick didn't know the dance, but he didn't need to; and he may have been sitting alone, but he didn't feel like it.

Because Jeff always seemed to be right there with him, and that was probably what confused Nick most of all…

* * *

_To dance with you._

* * *

**Did you listen to the song? Cause if you didn't, I'll be forced to put the lyrics in next time, and Lord knows, we don't want that, thank you very much. **

**In case you missed which version you should listen to: "King of Anything" by Sam Tsui**

**I swear, it's perfect.**


	4. Love Is True

**I like writing this one cause I have no requirements. I'm just like "Do whatever you want, Cheeky. Like... write two words, and it'll count". I know you all probably want to beat me for it, and that's probably one of the reasons it's so… not popular. But I don't care. I like this one…**

* * *

_You don't have to look to see…_

* * *

Lunch ended, and Nick found himself walking down the hall with Jeff, fingers laced together as usual but definitely not feeling normal. Nick was just so… confused. And as the day wore on he was getting it less and less… He wasn't quite sure what he was missing, but there was definitely a hole in his and Jeff's relationship that he couldn't figure out how to fill_._

Jeff held his hand lazily, and Nick giggled, thoughts about the other boy aside. Sometimes holding hands with his Jeff was like holding hands with a dead fish. The blonde arched an eyebrow at him on their way to study hall. "What?" he asked, and Nick just bumped into him a little, smirk on his face.

"Nothing, just…" he thought for a second, trying to figure out a way to say what he needed to without Jeff letting go. "You're just terrible at holding hands," he said, giving up. "You don't hold back." Jeff frowned and pulled up their intertwined fingers. Nick bit back a snicker as he looked at their hands closely, face inches away from his knuckles.

"You may be right…" he answered a bit dejectedly, which Nick found a bit too cute for a manly man of his level of manliness. "I'll be better," he said, and gripped his hand a bit tighter, dropping their hold back down between them. Nick rolled his eyes, and Jeff just walked into him a little, a revengeful little smirk on his face. Nick wanted to tackle him in response like normal. He was a boy. They wrestled. Get over it. However, he didn't want to have to be that close to Jeff. Just the idea of it sent heat flying to his cheeks. Nick coughed awkwardly.

"So, um… do you trust me?" he asked, an idea having sparked in his mind before lunch that he wanted to act on. Nick had been making plans of the sort for weeks, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity. They only had one more class, and it was study hall, after all.

"Of course," Jeff answered instantly, and Nick laughed.

"What, you didn't even have to think?" he asked teasingly, but Jeff just turned to him with an extremely serious look on his face that threw Nick off. His bangs fell into his big green eyes, making him look younger and more innocent than usual, but his expression was straight and earnest, taking away some of that childish vibe Nick sometimes felt from his roommate.

"No. I trust you," he said simply, all that anticipation for nothing. Nick stopped them at the corner before they reached the library, their usual home when it came to study hall. He grabbed Jeff's other hand and had him face him.

"Are you sure? You don't even know what I'm going to ask you…" he trailed off, and Jeff still looked insanely serious.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter. I trust you," he answered, and Nick bit his lip. Okay, so that was straightforward and almost too… _real_. Nick's stomach churned. Even if he didn't know exactly what kind of thing was going on with _them_, Nick _did_ know the thing about Jeff. He was always spontaneously saying things that made Nick questions his life in ways that confused him. This was one of those things.

"Well, the zoo closes at four in the winter, so normally it's pointless to go, but now it's spring, and it doesn't close until five, and it's in Powell which is like… _here_, so we could skip the end of the school day and go for a few hours or something… I don't know. I wanna see an elephant." He finished awkwardly, and Jeff started bouncing up and down.

"Yes!" he yelped, and there was that inner five-year-old again. See, this is why he and his dad didn't get along… Nick found himself being dragged to the front doors of the academy, Jeff pulling him faster and faster. "Zoo or aquarium? Oh, wait, you wanna see the elephant… Well, we can do both, it's all supposed to be one, right? You have money? Is twenty dollars okay? I bet it's fine… Ugh, this is so exciting!" Jeff rambled, and Nick tried to cover his laugh with a cough. He always talked a lot when the got hyped about something…

"It's a good thing you trusted me, huh?" he asked, Jeff's eyes glittering, he was so amped, but he threw him a small frown.

"I didn't need you to prove it to me, Nickpea."

_Oh._

_Maybe _that_'s the thing…_

* * *

_That my love is true_.

* * *

**Bwahaha. Guys, Powell is like… four minutes from my usual Westerville Location. (Yeah. Yeah, I google map this crap. I do my research. There's the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio. I get real in my stories, thank you…)**

**Expect lots of research from me. I don't FF half assed. **


	5. Every Time We Touch

**Off to the zoo! This is probably the hardest story to write, ironically... Fluff is like... plotless and fine, you know? And I suck at it. But good practice, so yay!**

* * *

_Easy like a day goes by, you and I getting on always like a lullaby. Like a steady rain when the ground is dry... _

* * *

Nick's face lit up because _Jeff's_ face lit up as they rolled into the zoo parking lot. Their space was actually a lot closer than he had expected, but it _was_ a weekday and all... Whatever, he didn't know. He didn't come to zoos that often... Jeff looked at him excitedly, and Nick actually couldn't fathom how he could look so adorable at times like these when he was just his. "Lions, and tigers, and bears?" he asked, hopefully. Nick nodded, replying with a solemn "oh my" before getting out of the car and spending a _ridiculous _thirty dollars for just two tickets.

"Are we skipping the aquarium?" he asked, and Jeff looked at him, horrified. "I'll take that as a no," he laughed, as the other boy dragged him deep into the zoo. It quickly became apparent that everything was kind of mixed together by habitat and location, and the fish, and dolphins, and such were unfortunately close to the back of the complex. Jeff slowed down as they hit a section entitled "Asia Quest". They fell instep quickly, arms brushing each other like usual, and Nick noticed admittedly happily that Jeff's hand was still around his wrist from where he had been pulling him earlier. He slipped his hand up higher into Jeff's, feeling abnormally brave and maybe a bit needy. Jeff seemed to be considerably happier than he had been earlier, thank goodness, and it made Nick feel a little bit more cheery as well.

"I want to pet a stingray," Jeff said quietly, and Nick hummed to show he was listening, too wrapped up in the feeling of his skin where Jeff was touching it to form a response. Every bit of his hand and all up his arm was tingly and tight, hair on end like he was a cat or maybe just scared... scared of what, he didn't exactly know, but the word somehow fit right... _S__cared of what? Scared of what?_

_"_I feel like we could probably make that happen," he said after a bit, passing by a couple Black Rhinos. They seemed bored, like all zoo inhabitants do, just lying down in the sun and soaking up rays. Nick liked looking at animals, but he did feel bad for the poor things with only a tire swing to knock around to keep them occupied. However, he also suspected taking away the need to hunt might be similar to taking away school, and in no way could the idea of "no work with free food and instant popularity" be construed as a bad thing. After all, here was Nick, acting like an adoring fan in the presence of what could be a very run of the mill rhinoceros as he ignored the zoo worker trying to start up the process of feeding time.

He didn't realize they had stopped to look until Jeff cleared his throat next to him. "Stingrays please? Pretty please?" he asked, and Nick nodded.

"Sure, if they have any." To be honest, he was a little bit surprised that Jeff had kept up the stingray dream. Not like he minded or anything, but Jeff was terrible at focusing on one thing for more than a couple minutes. It's probably why he seemed so happy at present, when his dad had been a total asshole earlier... Okay, don't judge him, Jeff had a shitty dad, he couldn't help but call him out on it.

They started walking again, both comfortably silent, and Nick let his thoughts turn back to how happy Jeff's hand in his made him feel. His palms were starting to get sweaty, but he was really hoping Jeff wouldn't let go because, like, whatever, he just really liked holding hands with Jeff, okay? And it wasn't something friends were supposed to do, so it always freaked him out when they stopped cause, you know, _what if this is the last time?_

Jeff felt right, and he felt good, and Nick didn't have any shame in that, just a lot of questions.

Eventually, they made their way up to "The Shore" and Nick asked a very helpful and chipper employee named Jess for directions. She happily pointed out the way to the "Discovery Reef Aquarium" which featured a touch pool apparently "like no other!" Jeff beamed at him the entire time, like Nick was his savior or something, which made him feel oddly pleased with himself -God knows why.

As soon as he stepped away from the girl, Jeff pulled him into an overly happy hug, just like Nick liked them, and it was suddenly like taking a breath of fresh air. Hugging Jeff was just so refreshing... "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Three!" he yelped excitedly, and Nick didn't even mind that it was right in his ear, just so long as Jeff kept _touching _him like that. Because Jeff felt right.

Maybe that's the thing.

* * *

_Every time we touch. _

* * *

**Gah, I'm so scared about everything up there... Like... SO SCARED! Constructive criticism is welcome, but don't be mean...**

**IMPORTANT: Okay, so For Always Forever should probably post a new chapter of "So High Above Me" or at least just freaking repost it because that's actually one of my all time favorite Niff's and this is just not okay with me. Someone else PM her to yell at her to put it up... Like, I'd rather you did that than review because I JUST WANT MORE OF THAT SO BAD, AND NOW I'VE ACTUALLY LOST SOME, and this is not okay. NOT. OKAY.**


	6. Keep My Faith

**Usual Fluff Pep Talk: Alright, I am going to do this. I am going to write this story and it is going to be awesome and everyone will love it. SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN! LET'S GO!**

* * *

_I don't need no crystal ball…_

* * *

All too soon, Jeff was pulling him off the way Jess had pointed out, babbling excitedly about stingrays and starfish. He burst into the building directed, and immediately weaved his way through the few scattered families there to find a place at the side of the touch pool tank. Nick saw his hands about to hit the water and quickly ran over to hold his sleeves up before they got wet. His arms were wrapped around him on both sides; his face pressed to Jeff's back because he was shorter and had to go low to reach his wrists.

Nick's cheeks heated up all kinds of red, his entire body flush against Jeff's, who didn't seem to give a damn unfortunately enough. He couldn't let go because then his blazer sleeves would fall into fish water, and Nick absolutely refused to let that happen. He didn't really mind being so close, the aquarium was freezing and Jeff was a furnace, but he did mind the curious look of the six-year-old girl holding a sand dollar next to Jeff.

This was the thing with Jeff; you never really had any idea what he would do next. You just had to be attentive and ready to follow him where ever he was headed. Nick didn't mind though. He could be a little too stuck in his ways, and Jeff was refreshing.

He was very nearly thrown off his feet when Jeff whipped around suddenly, a huge smile on his face and hands dripping. "Nick, you've actually got to try this out, they feel like wet leather."

"Ew. No," he frowned, but Jeff immediately started pushing up his sleeves anyway, dampening the cuffs of his dress shirt a bit with his soaked fingers. He shuffled away a bit, but Jeff just moved with him, stepping forward as he stepped back and continuing to roll the arms to his blazer.

"No, no. It's okay. It's really fun; you've got to try it. Wash your hands when you're done," he said pleadingly, and unfortunately, when it came to Jeff, Nick didn't need much convincing. He tended to just blindly follow his lead without caring about the outcome. Vice versa and all, but it didn't make Nick stop wondering why…. "Just touch one stingray!"

"Fine, fine," he answered, working his way over to the pool and glaring at the stingrays inside. There must have been at least fifty of the sea-rats, all swimming on top of each other and festering on the bottom of their tub. With an ungodly amount of poking in the side from a certain blonde Warbler, his hands eventually managed to take the plunge. Oh, God…

"You've got to touch one, Nicky," Jeff said quietly in his ear before putting his own hands in the pool and letting his fingers gently graze the back of one of their fins. "You can't just keep your hands in the water, it doesn't count." Nick just continued glaring at the stingrays, blaming them for being alive rather than Jeff for making him touch them, until Jeff's hand found his own underwater. Nick gasped a little, not expecting the gesture and unnerved by how naked his skin felt when fully wet like this. Jeff brought his hand slowly down, bringing making him touch a stingray despite his strangled cries.

"Jeff-"

"No, shush, it's fine," he told him, and it actually was. The stingrays _did_ feel like wet leather, and Jeff's hand on top of his as he touched them suddenly made the whole ordeal seem far less scary.

Nick didn't always know what was going to happen with Jeff, but it always ended up okay.

Maybe that's the thing.

* * *

_To keep my faith._

* * *

**Short, but cute. Right? Right. I don't feel very well today, guys… So sorry….**


	7. A Little Mystery

**This is so close to being done! DON'T YOU JUST LOVE NIFF LOVE?! Cause I certainly do.**

* * *

_I think we're both better off…_

* * *

They left the touch aquarium, washed hands intertwined, and Nick decided that he really liked how cool and soft Jeff's hands felt after they were just cleaned. Jeff still seemed a little bit down from earlier, and Nick suggested that they go check out the actual aquarium. Surely some sharks and tropical fishies would perk him up a bit.

Nick hated when his Jeff was sad. It was just… just such a _downer._ Not just because Jeff was his fun and Jeff was his joy, but because it was physically painful for him to see something that was normally so happy and excitable so drained of life. Jeff was meant to have a smile on his face, and the way his eyes kept drooping a little every few seconds was seriously worrying. They walked into the aquarium.

"You know, pancake octopuses are my favorite sea-thing," Jeff announced, and, no, Nick didn't know, but he was glad that he did now. Sometimes with Jeff… It was like he wanted to know everything, but at the same time, he liked letting little things just come out naturally. Nick half wanted to completely map out Jeff's brain, and half wanted the blonde to never tell him anything at all so he could drop little surprising facts like this all the time.

"Why is that?" he questioned, and Jeff smiled against the glass of the fish tank, his hands up on the container like a little kid. A tiny octopus –that looked more like the inside of a used tissue than anything else- rested on the other side of the glass on the sand. Coral crept up the back of the tank and colorful fish darted around above. The pancake octopus really didn't seem that impressive compared to everything else…

"It's the kind of octopus in _Finding Nemo_," he exclaimed before raising his voice high to do a pretty good impression. "All, '_Awwww! You guys made me ink!'" _he explained, and Jeff eyed the gross creature skeptically. It didn't look anything like the cute, pink little octopus from the movie. Jeff arched an eyebrow at him. "They get cuter over time," he explained, and Nick scoffed.

"It looks like snot, Jeff," he told him, and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"You so aren't open-minded at _all_," Jeff laughed, and Nick could tell he was a bit preoccupied, despite the giggle. He wanted to wipe away all of his bad memories and replace them with happy zoo crap. Just… shove all the animals and habitats and shit down his throat.

"Jeff, it's not even about that. It's about every other fish being better looking than this thing," he replied, but even as he said it, the little nasty started looking more and more adorable to him. Not like… puppy cute, of course, but Ugly Doll cute. "Although… I guess I can see what you mean…" he said, and Jeff smiled at him knowingly.

"Told you! They grow on you!" Nick pouted.

"Yes. Just like the festering wounds they're trying to look like." Jeff swatted him upside the head, and the two walked deeper into the aquarium, blue playing off their skin like aurora borealis. Nick had never seen Jeff in this kind of lighting before, and Nick realized that –as well as he knew Jeff- he didn't really _know_ Jeff. There was still so much to discover and learn… He was like a puzzle Nick just kept coming back to, and he hoped Jeff would always stay that way.

Maybe that's the thing…

* * *

_With a little mystery._

* * *

**AH! I totally just remembered how much I love Klaine and Niff. You can all go thank PastaMama for that cause she's the one to do it, the splendid little thing with her splendid little story… If you haven't read **_**Act Your Age, Not Your Shoe Size**_**, then you've got a problem. **


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